ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson joined us in Baltimore to say goodbye to Lutheran Services in America CEO Jill Schumann. I had a chance to participate. Below is scripture and reflections. Reflections centered on LSAmerica and Jill's contributions. Lutheran social ministry is strong!
Luke 4:16-21
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[a]
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

I decided to use my few minutes to talk about this piece of string.

In 1520, Martin Luther wrote: “and each one should become as it were a Christ to the other that we may be Christs to one another and Christ may be the same in all…”

That scripture reading and quote from Luther sound familiar to me. Jesus revealed himself and his purpose. Isaiah used the examples of proclaiming to the poor, freedom for prisoners, freeing the oppressed. He could have added home for developmentally disabled children, safety for refugees, care for frail elders, community for retirees, love for foster children, food for the hungry.

Luke and Luther look familiar because they reveal the Christ we see every day in 309 social ministry organizations across the United States. They gave the marching orders to Lutheran social ministry.

Every day Lutheran social ministry proclaims, “the spirit of the Lord is on me.” Every day we proclaim the hope and grace of the year of the Lord’s favor.

Lutheran Services in America was created to connect all of us dots. As LSA, Joanne Negsted led us as our first president and gave us a more collective voice, and gave me competition on the treadmill in many hotel gyms. When she retired, many questioned whether LSA would survive without its strong leader.

God raised up another great leader in Jill Schumann, who has led us ten years further down the road.

Under Jill’s leadership we created ends policies to guide our work. We are called to love and serve our neighbors through our ends with key words like advocacy, capacity, identity, possibility, leading. Leading stands out today. The entire policy is: “LSA and its members, in partnership with others, is leading a movement of hope and grace toward a society that values generosity, inclusion, justice, and mutual care. “ Again, we proclaim the hope and grace of the year of the Lord’s favor.

I will forever keep two visions of Jill in my head.

The night before a presentation for us in NC, Jill stayed with Cheryl and I in Salisbury. I told Jill she could have an office at work for a few hours the next morning or she could use our wifi at the apartment. When I got home from the Y at 6 AM, Jill was already ready and working away at our kitchen counter. Jill’s work ethic and drive for excellence have been a poorly kept secret to her success and an example for all of us.

My other vision is of Jill just back in October standing at the podium in the White House auditorium addressing 160 Lutheran social ministry leaders at our briefing day at the White House. That opportunity is only one example of how high our banner has been raised in large part because of the Jill’s ministry. Is it any wonder Jill has been named to the Nonprofit Times Top 50 Power and Influence list for 9 consecutive years.

String binds things together. We are bound to Christ, bound to the scriptures, bound through Luther’s explanation that we be Christ to each other, and through Lutheran Services in America. Jill, thank you for binding us closer through your ministry. Blessings!